SFSTATION REVIEW Neighborhood Comfort Food Glen Park Gets Fancy by Tamar Love When my soul sister moved to Glen Park last year, she was disconsolate. "I've got a great place," she mourned, "it's absolutely gorgeous and the rent is really decent." When I asked her what was wrong, she shook her head sadly and said, "There's just nowhere to eat." Someone must have heard her bellyaching, because just last October she was rewarded with Chenery Park, a moderately upscale neighborhood restaurant serving comfort food, charm and some mighty fine desserts. Glen Park is one of those neighborhoods that isn't usually listed on tourist maps. Teetering above Noe Valley to the North and the Excelsior to the South, Glen Park is a culinary wasteland, populated by cute shops, neighborhood bars, specious diners and nasty little delis. Sure, if you want to hike down to Noe Valley or the nearby Castro you can eat to your heart's content. But what about those nights when you just want to get a good, decent bite near home? Prior to October 2000, you were screwed. But then local talent John Bedard and Joseph Kowal teamed up with chefs Richard Rosen and Gaines Dobbins (of l'Avenue and Boulevard fame) to open Chenery Park. "Our goal was to be a great little neighborhood restaurant," said restaurant partner Joe Kowal, "one of those places where you could get great comfort food in a really nice setting." Chenery Park certainly looks different from most of its neighbors: at eight o'clock, when we sauntered in for dinner, most of the nearby shops and eateries looked as though they had been closed for hours. In sharp contrast, Chenery Park was as inviting as a lone red poppy in a field of dark grass. Downstairs, diners can huddle at intimate tables with low lighting; upstairs, patrons enjoy brighter lighting and a slightly more festive air. Altogether Chenery Park offers 70 tables, which--as their website boasts--are "filled to capacity on a nightly basis." Those who don't want to wait can call ahead and order from Chenery Park's take-out menu. While ostensibly an "Americana" restaurant, Chenery Park's menu reflects its owners' variety of experience: born and raised in New York, Rosen incorporates his native city's textures--as well as his classically trained French cuisine background--into his creations. Dobbins, a Mississippi native, brings to the table the Cajun/Creole tastes of New Orleans and famed chef Paul Prudhomme, under whom he studied before moving to San Francisco. We found the chunky Seafood Gumbo with Scallops, Shrimp & Catfish ($15), a delightfully spicy dish loaded with tender shellfish, to be a healthy California rendition of a Louisiana classic, pairing nicely with a Crispy Quail salad with frisee, radicchio & endive ($9). Although it's no longer on the frequently changing menu, the lamb sirloin we tried was the best we'd ever tasted--in fact, we've recommended it to several lamb virgins we know. We can only hope the Braised Lamb Shank, with Red Wine and Polenta ($18) is half as good. If you're looking for comfort food, try the super-cheesy Baked Macaroni & Cheese ($9), which is more Martha than Mom. Another winner plate, the Roasted Pork Loin with Braised Cabbage, Crispy Red Potato and a Sage Natural Sauce ($14), was a bit much for one: we advise sharing this huge plate with a close friend. That way, you'll have room for dessert--the creamy, oozy, gooey Warm Chocolate Cake with Chantilly ($6). We also liked the Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream ($6) and the Warm Ginger Bread Bundt Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream & Caramel Sauce ($6), both of which tasted a heck of a lot better than they sounded (we're diehard chocolate fans). A lovely glass of Bonny Doone topped off the meal nicely, although one dining companion swore her coffee was thoroughly delicious and a much better choice. While we always like to keep grounded by looking at both sides of the coin--shiny and dull--there wasn't a lot to complain about at Chenery Park. Sure, the service was a little spotty: our waiter (who seemed to have been recruited that very day) brought the wrong wine and the courses each took a little too long to get to us. But the waitstaff was so genuinely charming throughout the whole experience that we passed any inconsistencies off as new-kid stuff that time will most likely resolve. As Chenery Park becomes more popular--and more of a neighborhood necessity--we fervently hope the chefs will revoke their solemn vow to never, ever serve brunch. We can only imagine what their Creole Eggs Benedict might taste like ... until then, we'll have to make do with their ever-expanding menu, their nightly specials, and their weekday entree specials--Grilled Lamb Chops with Potato/Artichoke Hash ($20) on Thursday nights! Accepted Payment: MasterCard, Visa, American Express

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